Nigeria’s north-central region is grappling with a complex web of security challenges exacerbated by the impact of climate change. The encroaching Sahara Desert is forcing herders to migrate southward, leading to conflicts and deadly skirmishes with farmers. Amidst this crisis, Terseer Ugbor, a lawmaker from Benue State and Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Environment is taking proactive steps to address the challenge. He represents Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency of Benue State. Correspondent Nicholas Kalu reports
Finding solutions
Recently, Ugbor organised a stakeholders’ forum on addressing the impact of climate change on farmer-herder clashes in Nigeria. The event brought together experts, community leaders, and government officials to discuss solutions to the growing crisis.
“The forum was a crucial step in acknowledging the severity of the problem and the need for collective action. We must work together to address the root causes of the conflict and find sustainable solutions,” Ugbor says.
During the forum, participants identified key areas of concern, including alternative livelihoods for herders, support for farmers adapting to changing weather patterns, community-led initiatives for peacebuilding and dialogue as well as a national policy on climate change and security.
The forum, organised by the office of the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Environment, premiered a documentary, “Behind the Valley,” showcasing the impact of climate change on farmer-herder conflicts in Benue State.
Ugbor emphasised that the forum was just the beginning. “We are committed to translating the recommendations into action. We will work with the government, civil society, and community leaders to implement solutions.”
Some proposed solutions include establishing grazing reserves and feedlots for herders, providing climate-resilient agricultural practices for farmers, supporting community-led peace initiatives and dialogue and developing a national climate change and security policy
Ugbor’s efforts demonstrate a commitment to addressing the complex interplay between climate change and insecurity in Nigeria. As the Sahara Desert continues to encroach on fertile land, proactive steps like these are crucial in mitigating the conflict.
The lawmaker’s initiative serves as a model for other regions facing similar challenges. By bringing stakeholders together and seeking solutions, Ugbor is helping to build a more resilient and peaceful Nigeria.
Ugbor said the event was to premiere the documentary with the purpose of highlighting the escalating security situation in Benue State due to the conflict occasioned by the impact of the climate.
“We came up with this initiative to showcase the challenges being faced by our people, to showcase the challenges being faced by farmers across Benue and the North Central as a whole and ultimately attract support and track funding from international and local communities towards addressing the problem.”
He said the aim was to check the conflict, address the humanitarian consequences such as internally displaced persons, as well as empower them to live better lives.
“The people would be empowered with modern agricultural practices, smart agriculture and better homes where they can start new lives. There would be capacity building and peace building with engagement between farmers and herders, and traditional rulers and community leaders to see how we can bring the issue of farmer header crisis,” he said
Seeking partnerships
“We have partnerships and calls from several development organisations who have shown interest in collaborating with my office and to see that we can implement this programme and we can take this message to the International Community at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly and the upcoming climate conference later this year. Well, we are discussing it with the global environment fund. We’re discussing with the global climate fund under the United Nations.
“We are discussing with the development bank of Nigeria, the African Development Bank. We’re discussing with the Nigerian government. Like I said, we intend to take this message to the International Community, to the world to see how they can intervene in the challenges that we’re facing as a result of climate change, leading to the herders-farmers conflict.
“We have some commitments from several partners who are working directly with us, and already they’ve booked us to screen the documentary at some of the upcoming international engagements, international conferences, where most of the global donors and partners will be present. And so we hope that we can attract this international funding.
“Our target is 150 million. It could be more because the problem is far greater than even that amount, but we tend to start small. One home at a time, we want to build these green homes to resettle the people. We want to train them, and integrate them back into the communities.
“So for states and local governments that are interested in partnering with us, and make available land where we can build homes for displaced persons and retrain them and reintegrate them into society, we are willing and available to cooperate.
“We are talking about some of the civil society organisations. Some of the partners that have signed up to join us on this. And on this project, we’re working with the African Energy Council who are experts in renewable energy integration. We’re working with the women environmental programme, who are experts in community, mobilisation experts, in implementing programmes and projects for women and the less privileged.
“I believe that more and more partners have indicated interest to join the initiative with us. So by the time we start our full reach out, I’m sure we’ll have a lot more partners including state governments who are also major stakeholders. We are on the right track towards making a mark on the Herder conflict in Nigeria,” he said.
He disclosed plans to return to the ranching system in the country as part of a means to address the challenge. He commended President Bola Tinubu for proposing the Ministry of Livestock. This, he said, was a good initiative.
“We also believe that if this ministry is up and running, it will look at the issue of livestock very holistically. And, of course, in the long term help to reduce the issues of farmer herder conflict in the country,” he said.
In the short term, he urged that the government provide security to ensure that farmers go back to the farms. He said it was crucial to address the problem in Benue State, given that it was the food basket of the nation and in the face of food shortage, the importance of ensuring that farmers go back to their farms cannot be emphasised.
A broader perspective
Ugbor discountenanced the various colouration given to the skirmishes such as religious and ethnic slants. He said it was mainly an economic conflict due to the scramble for scarce dwindling natural resources as a result of the effect of climate change.
“When you look at the problem from a narrow prism, when you look at the problem from that angle, the immediate situation on ground between the farmers and the herders, you can call it a genocide, you can call it an invasion, you can call it an unprovoked killing of our people.
“But when you broaden your scope a little bit you find out the problem is more than just a narrow problem of genocide. It’s a broader problem. Why the sudden genocide? Obviously from our studies we found that it’s a struggle for land and for water.
“It’s an economic war being waged by the herders to grab land and to grab water for their own sustenance, and the sustenance of their livestock. So what we’ve decided to do is to look at this issue from a more broader perspective on why the sudden migration of herdsmen into the north central, and why the sudden interest in our communities in our water sources.
“Of course, we learned how to look at where they are coming from. Where are their traditional bases and why have they decided to move? And when we took a holistic study of the problem, we found that the problem is not just about the genocide happening on ground; it’s a problem of climate change.
“The Lake Chad Basin has dried up by 80 to 90 per cent. So, most of the people that depend on this lake, especially the herders, have been displaced and have to leave their communities in search of greener pastures.
“And then we looked at the problem of the desertification in the north, how has this also contributed towards pushing herders to be displaced and to move southwards in terms of greener pastures? And then, of course, we looked at the issue of banditry up north and cattle rustling up north.
“So all these issues of climate change, of terrorism, of banditry that have plagued our country, especially in northern Nigeria, have all come together to push herders down south, which has led to a lot of the increased conflict that you see today.
“It’s a fight for survival. So the herders have come very aggressively into our communities. Our people are poor farmers. Our people don’t have weapons, they don’t have guns to defend themselves, but the men who are coming down have weapons and have means of defending themselves and attacking these communities.
“So, it is necessary that our people look at this problem from a broader perspective. We’ve been trying a lot, the former government of Benue made a lot of cries and noise about the issue of the killings and the maiming of people in the communities. But we’ve not achieved much results from just crying and talking about the killings and the many.
“So we decided to take a different approach because, of course, you know the saying that if you do one thing over and over again and you don’t achieve result, you try something else. So in this case, we decided to try a different approach to zoom out of the problem and look at it from a larger perspective. Look at it as a Nigerian problem and not only to bring this problem,” he said.
Speaker, stakeholders call for action
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, raised the alarm that Nigeria’s farmer-herder clashes have taken a deadly turn, with climate change fueling the conflict.
He warned that outdated herding and farming methods must give way to global trends in farming amidst climate change.
Abbas emphasised that climate change has exacerbated the challenges faced by farmers and herders, leading to desertification and migration.
He urged a transition from nomadic herding to ranching and adoption of global trends in farming to address the crisis.
Abbas also highlighted the limitations of the Land Use Act, which hinders the Federal Government and National Assembly from making necessary changes to address the situation.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, noted that climate change is a major factor undermining the achievement of sustainable development goals and a direct threat to global efforts to reduce extreme poverty.
Ministers and experts echoed the call for collective action, emphasising the need for multifaceted solutions to address the farmer-herder conflict. The Minister of State for Environment, Dr Ishaq Salako, stressed the importance of cooperation between the legislature and executive arm of government.
The Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Joseph Utsev, called for more proactive measures to address the situation.
Conclusion
The stakes are high, with thousands of deaths and loss of revenue running into humongous amounts due to clashes between herders and farmers in Nigeria.
In response, the House Committee on Environment has designed an initiative to address the problem of affordable green housing for displaced persons, restoration of degraded farming and grazing lands, training and capacity building, resource and water management, renewable energy integration, and peace building through dialogue and mediation.
As the country searches for solutions, one thing is certain: the status quo is outdated, and a way forward is urgently needed. Will Nigeria find a way to mitigate the effects of climate change and restore peace to its troubled regions?
As the country grapples with the worsening crisis, it is evident that climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a harsh reality that demands immediate attention and action. Will the country find a way to mitigate its effects and restore peace to its troubled regions? Only time will tell.
